A North Carolina man got the ultimate birthday gift: A $3 million dollar lottery prize.

To celebrate turning 40, Kevon Greenidge treated himself to a belated gift and purchased a ticket for a new lottery game.

He ended up winning the very first $3 million prize on his lucky $30 Fabulous Fortune ticket.

"I thought I was being pranked or something," he said. "I really thought it was a trick."

His ticket came from the Short Stop on Anderson Ponds Drive in Spring Lake.

When Greenidge arrived at lottery headquarters Wednesday to collect his prize, he had a decision to make: He could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of $150,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $1.8 million.

He chose the lump-sum amount of $1.8 million and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $1,278,189. 

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